Seal for rotary drum drier



May 19, 1959 R. H. WHYTE Erm. 2,886,901

SEAL FOR ROTARY DRUM DRIER Ronal H. Whyte BY Nelson .l Pans/'ng MQW May19, 1959 R. H. WHYTE ETAL 2,886,901

sRAL FoR ROTARY DRUM DRIRR Filed Feb. 8, 195'? y 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS The/'r Afforney May 19, 1959 R. H. WHYTE ETAL SEAL FORROTARYbRUM DRIER Filed Fb. 8, 195'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 5

United States Patent 2,886,901 SEAL non ROTARY DRUM nnrnR 7 Claims. (Cl.B14-133) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and moreparticularly to a clothes dryer of the axial air ow type.

The present invention contemplates providing a clothes dryer wherein thedrying air passes axially through a horizontally arranged tumbling drumand wherein the air is exhausted from the through the front vaccessopening of the drum.4 The air leaving the access opening passes into asecond exhaust opening that is vertically spaced from the accessopening, the door of the dryer directing the air into the second exhaustopening.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dryer of the typedescribed above wherein air is exhausted from the tumbling drum of thedryer adjacent the door of the dryer and where means are provided forpreventing clothes from plugging the discharge air ow path of the dryer.

A more specilic object is to provide a clothes dryer of the type whereinair is discharged adjacent the door of the dryer and wherein aperforated clothes deflecting baiile is secured to the door forpreventing clothes from piling up adjacent the door and plugging thedischarge air ow path of the dryer.

Another object is to provide a clothes dryer of the type having avertically extending bulkhead and wherein a heater box is secured to thebulkhead, the heater box supporting an electric heating element andhaving an air inlet and an air outlet located in alignment with the rearperforated wall of the tumbling drum of the dryer.`

Still another object is to provide a dryer of the type having a tumblingdrum formed with a rear perforated wall portion located adjacent avertically extending bulkhead, and having a perforated sealcircumscribing the rear perforated wall portion of the tumbling drum andinterposed between the bulkhead and tumbling drum to form an inlet airchamber for the tumbling drum, the seal being effectively cooled by airpassing through the perforations formed in the seal.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings: i

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the clothes dryer of thisinvention;

`Figure 2 is a fragmentary front view of the door assembly of the dryershowing the perforated clothes deiiecting bai-ile of this invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a front elevational view partially in section of the driershown in Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1 a dryery generally denoted by reference numeral is provided with an outercabinet including a top wall 12, a front wall 14 and a rear wall 16. Avertically extending bulkhead 18 is welded or otherwise secured to thedryer cabinet. A tumbling drum 20 is located within the dryer cabinetand is supported for rotation by a bearing 22 that is fixed to thebulkhead 18.

plan view of the perforated seal shown 2,886,901 Patented May 19, 1959riice 2 The tumbling drum has a rear perforated wall portion 24 and isprovided with a front access opening 26. The rear perforated wallportion 24 of the tumbling drum is circumscribed by a felt seal 28 thatis xed to a flanged member 30 by a clamping ring 32. The seal 28 abutsthe rear wall of the tumbling drum 20 and forms an inlet air chamberwith the vertically extending bulkhead i3. A heater box assemblygenerally denoted by reference numeral 34 is secured to the bulkhead 1S.The heater box includes a heater housing 36 having side walls 38 one ofwhich is shown in the sectional view of Figure l. The heater boxassembly further includes a shield member 40 and a heat reiiector member42 spaced from the shield member 40 by spaced bearings 41. The shield`member 40 is provided with an opening 44 that its within openings formedin the bulkhead 18 and in the reector member ,42 and these openingsprovide an air discharge outlet for the heater box assembly 34. Anelectric heating element 46 is mounted between the housing 36 and theheater shield 40. The housing assembly 36 is provided with an air inletpassage 43 at the top thereof. 42 are secured to the bulkhead 18 byscrews as shown in Figure l.

The iront end of the clothes dryer is provided with a port plategenerally denoted by reference numeral 50 that includes a peripheralwall portion 52 forming an access opening that is in alignment with theaccess opening 26 of the tumbling drum. A felt seal 51 is interposedbetween the port plate 50 and the lianged portion S3 of the tumblingdrum. Suitable bearing members 57 are also interposed between the portplate 50 and langed portion 53 which supports the forward end of drum 20during its rotation. These bearing members preferably are secured to theouter side of peripheral wall portion 52 and may be made of nylon or anyother suitable material. The port plate 50 carries a seal 54 and has anair discharge opening 56 vertically spaced from the opening formed byperipheral wall 52. The port plate 50 is preferably bolted to the frontcabinet wall 14 by fasteners (not shown). The exhaust opening 56 formedin port plate 50 is in alignment with a discharge passage 58 thatcommunicates with a vertically extending duct 6i) located immediatelybelow the port plate 50. The vertically extending duct -60 may be weldedor otherwise secured to an air box 62. A door 64 is pivotally secured tothe front wall 14 of the dryer and has an inner recessed portion 66 thatoperates to direct air flowing axially through the tumbling drum intothe vertically extending duct 60.

The air box 62 is provided with an opening 68 that communicates with thevertically extending duct 60. A lint filter element 70 is located withinthe air box 62 in the path of air moving downwardly through duct (il).

The air box 62 is open at 72 and the interior of the air box isconnected with a blower 73 by means of a duct 76. The blower includes ahousing '74 and an irnpeller 78 that is driven by an electric motor 80.The electric motor also drives the tumbling drum through belts 82 and 84and through pulleys 86, 88, 90 and 92. The blower housing 74 is providedwith an outlet 94 that is connected with suitable duct work (not shown)that leads to the exterior of the cabinet.

With the above described arrangement air is constantly exhaustedfrom theinterior of the tumbling drum bythel blower 73. The air leaving thetumbling drum passesl through the peripheral wall portion 52 of the portplate 50, thence through the recessed portion 66 of the door 64, throughair passages 56 and 58, downwardly through duct 60, through air box 62,through duct 76 and then into the blower where the air is dischargedthrough outl The housing 36, shield 40 and heat reiiectorv assasol Makeup air for the dryer is supplied through an air passage 96 formed in therear wall 16 of the dryer. This air passes downwardly through passagelf3-intothe'hea't'er'box 34 where the air is heated by heating element46'. The air leaves the heater box throughoutlet passageA 44 and thenpasses through the rear' perforated wall portion 24 of the tumbling drumintothe interior of the tumbling drum.

The-door 64 ofthe dryer is provided with a perforated baille 93- thatoperates to deflect clothes away from the recessed portion 66 of door6d, but which permits 'the passage of air therethrough; The baille thusinsures that clothes will not find their way into the recessed portion66, and thus positively prevents plugging of the discharge airflow-pathfrom the-tumbling drum 20. The bafle 98 is secured to the inner face ofdoor 6ft by bolting or otherwise securing the baffle thereto.

It shouldl be noted thatthe felt seal 26j is protected om heat radiatingfrom heating element i6 bythe heat reflector element 42, whichisipreferably formed of an aluminum clad steel; The reflector 42 beingspaced from heater shield lll by bumps-41, provides a1r air spacebetweeny the reector-KEZ and the'shield 40'which operates to protect theseal 28 from heat being transferred from the heating element 46.Therefiector 42 thus adds an additional layer of material-betweenheating element 46 and seal 28 and by its location also provides an airspace therebetween.

Additional means are also provided -for maintaining the seal 28 withinsafe temperature limits. To this end the seal 28 is provided withaplurality of metal eyelets 1h43 thatV provide air passages therethrough.vVith the arrangement air is constantly pulled through the eyelets 100to cool the felt-seal when the dryer is operated due to the fact thatthe tumbling drum is constantly being exhausted by blower '73. With thearrangement just described the felt seal 28 is cooled and is kept at atemperature below the disintegrating temperature of the seal material.

While the formy of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Aclothes dryer comprising, an outer casing having an opening,a-peripheral wall supported within the casing opening and defining, anaccess opening, a door pivoted to said casing opening and closing saidaccess opening and havinga portion spaced from said peripheral wall toform an air passage when in the closed position but otherwise engaging.said wall` to seal the opening, a tumbling drum in` said-casing having aloading opening ink alignment with said access opening, means forsupplying heated air to said drum and for exhausting said air from saiddrum at the spacebetweenfsaid peripheral wall and said door, and aperforated baiie xed to said door and extending anlet 9d to theatmosphere.

tering said space and are urged toward said tumbling drum.

movement within said casing and having a front loading opening located1n alignmentwithsaid access opening,

drum,

a pluralityof radially extending passages whereby air passing throughsaid passagescools said seal.

3. A clothes dryer comprising, an outer casing, an access opening in onewall4k ofsaid casing defined by a peripheral wall, a door pivotedn tosaid casing opening and closing said access opening and' having7 aportion spaced from said peripheral wall whenin the closed position butotherwise engaging said wall to seal the opening, a tumbling drum insaid casing having a loading opening in alignment with said accessopening and havinga rear perforated wall portion, a pivotally extendingbulkhead located adjacent the rear wall of said drum, a heater boxassociated with said bulkhead having an air inlet communicating with theexterior of said casing and havingan` air outlet located adjacent therear perforated portion of said drum, a heater element'in said heaterbox for heating air, passing through said box, a cylindrically shapedfelt seal havinga plurality of radially extendingk passagesfixed to saidbulkhead and engaging the rear wall of'said tumbling drum, said sealcircumscribing the perforatedportion of said tumbling drum rear wall,means' for exhausting air from said drum at the space between saidperipheralwall andsaid door, and a perforated baffle fixedV to said doorand extending overv said space when thc door is closed *whereby4 clothesin saidturnblin'g drum are prevented from entering said space.

4. The structure'dened in claim 2 wherein said seal member comprises acylindricaliy shaped felt member having a plurality of hollowmetaleyelets extending radially therethrough and forming radiallyextendingair passages.-

5. A cylindrically shaped seal ring adapted for interposition betweenarotary tumbling drum and a xed part of a clothes dryer for forming anair chamber therebetween formed of a exible material and having aplurality of radially extending passages facilitating air flowtherethrough.

6. A cylindrically shaped seal ring adapted for interposition between arotary tumbling drum and a fixed part of a clothes dryer for forming anair chamber therebetween formed of a felt material and having aplurality of radially extending passages defined by hollow metaleyeletsin said felt material.

7. A clothes dryer'comprising, a vertically extending front wall', atumbling drum having a rear perforated wall portion mounted for rotationin said casing and having a front loading opening facing said frontwall, lheating means having an inlet communicating with the exterior ofsaid casing and having an outlety communicating with saidrear perforatedwall, an access opening insaid front wall defined by a peripheral wallin alignment with said loading opening, a door covering said accessopening having a depressed portion spaced from said peripheral wall atthe bottom of said door and defining an exhaust air space, a ductconnected to saidy air space below said opening, a blower having asuction inlet connected with said duct for drawing air past said heatingmeans, through Vsaid :exhaust air circular perforated batrle saiddoorandalower side depending angularly over said axially through said drum, andspace, and a substantially 'semi- References Cited inthe tile of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,045,453 Emrick June 23, 1936' 2,521,712Geldhoi` Sept. 12, 1950` 2,619,734 Geldhof'et al. Dec. 2, 1952y2,675,628 ONeil Apr. 20, 1954r 2,681,513 Fowler Jne22, 1954l 2,751,688;Douglas June 26, 1956 an outer casing having 1 having an upper sidefixed toy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE oE CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,386,901 May 19, 1959 Ronal I-l. Whyte et al.

rs in the printed specification It is hereby certified that error appeaoton and that the said Letters of the above numbered patent requiringcorre Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4 line ll1 for "pvotally" read vertically Signed and sealed thisllthday of October 1960.

( SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXL1NE Attesting Gfcer ROBERT C. WATsoN Commissioner of Patents

